In the present disclosure, where a document, an act and/or an item of knowledge is referred to and/or discussed, then such reference and/or discussion is not an admission that the document, the act and/or the item of knowledge and/or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge and/or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; and/or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
A hot water recirculation system is a plumbing technology for rapidly delivering hot water to a plumbing fixture for instant use. Such delivery is typically achieved via a booster pump installed downstream from a hot water source and upstream from the fixture. The pump is usually powered via a power source, such as mains electricity, a battery, a gas generator, a renewable energy source, and so forth. The pump is often operated more than necessary, which wastes energy and wears down the pump. As a result, some techniques for dealing with such method of operation have been devised. For example, one technique involves coupling the pump to a timer, which is programmed to activate the pump at times when hot water is typically needed. Another technique involves coupling the pump to a manual switch, which is operated to activate the pump for a set time period when hot water is needed. Yet another technique involves coupling the pump to a home security system, which when deactivated enables the pump to operate and when activated disables the pump from operating. Nevertheless, such techniques are ineffective at least because the timer can require readjustment due to varying schedules, the switch can be annoying to operate, and not every home is equipped with the home security system.
An ever present challenge in implementing a new hot water recirculation system or upgrading such a system with improved technology is the difficulty of installation. In particular, when plumbing changes are required, the cost of installation can quickly skyrocket. Thus, the ability to improve the function of existing hot water recirculation systems without requiring expensive installation is highly desirable.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed. The claims may encompass at least one of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.